


Trace Memory

by nan



Series: Stucky Ficlets [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Brainwashing, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Canon Divergence - Captain America: The Winter Soldier, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Size Difference, Size Kink, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, shrinkyclinks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-18 02:26:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3552554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nan/pseuds/nan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The neutralizer worked. His mission was small, weak. He struggled to stand up from under the weight of his uniform. </p>
<p>The Winter Soldier hesitated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trace Memory

The neutralizer worked. The asset lowered the tranquilizer gun, watching his mission fall, disappearing behind machinery. Even from where he was standing, he could see the pain twisted on the man’s face. The asset stood, tossing the gun aside. It had served its purpose; now it was the asset’s turn. As he drew nearer, the asset heard swearing, quiet but panicked, and he ducked behind a stack of pallets. The man was smaller and presumably weaker, but the neutralizer was unstable; HYDRA scientists weren’t sure just what it would do or even how long the affects would last. It didn’t really matter; a large corpse was just as good as a small one.

The asset drew his pistol and stood, pointing it at his mission. But his finger stilled over the trigger and he stared, the satisfaction he wasn’t suppose to feel fading; murky, unfamiliar emotions took its place.

Captain America was swamped in his uniform, the heavy fabric weighing on his thin shoulders. He was struggling to get to his feet but his legs were tangled in the too long uniform pants, his boots slipping off his feet. The asset didn’t realize he’d been moving until he was crouched down in front of the captain. He could hear frantic words coming from the captain’s earpiece and the captain stared at him with steady, sharp eyes. “Well? What’re you going to do?” he demanded. And for the first time in a long time - in forever - the asset didn’t know. He knew what he was _suppose_ to do. He was suppose to finish the mission.

The captain stared at him for a moment before swearing and grabbing his shield.

The next few moments happened too quickly. The captain pulled his weapon clumsily; the shield was too heavy for him to wield. The asset grabbed his wrist, his fingers encircling it completely, and jerked upwards so the spun in the air before falling harmlessly to the ground. He slammed the captain’s wrist against the granite wall behind him and the small man dropped the gun with a pained cry. The asset let go of his hand as if it burned, pulling backwards with wide, shocked eyes, the sound sending a shock down his spine.

The captain rubbed his wrist, eyes cautious. “What are you doing?”

The asset didn’t know. He just knew that this person in front of him, this frail, thin form had been his once. His to take care of, to protect. The idea of ownership was an unfamiliar one; the asset didn’t even have possession of himself. But this person had been his once.

"Bucky…" The captain shifted, eyes narrowing. "If you’re not going to kill me then get out of my way, _please_. I’ve got a job to do.”

The asset surprised them both by laughing; it was rusty and raw, but genuine. “You can’t even hold your shield properly,” he said before frowning, clenching his jaw.

The captain flushed and struggled to his feet, hand going to his ear. “Falcon,” he said but before he could get anything else out, the asset reached out and plucked the communication device from his ear.

"You can’t trust SHIELD," he said in a harsh whisper. "HYDRA-"

"I know," the captain interrupted. "HYDRA is SHIELD." He paused before shaking his head and pulling a computer chip from his waistband. "Look, you know what this is. It’ll put a stop to Project Insight. We can stop both HYDRA and SHIELD and we…you can be free.” He paused, mouth working for a moment. “Help me do this, Bucky.”

The asset paused. He’d made his own decisions before; which weapon to use to take down a target or how to escape capture. This wasn’t the same. But when the captain stared up at him - up, always up, he had always been such a short little thing, even though the memories weren’t there anymore - and said “please,” the asset knew what he wold do. Reaching for the chip, he frowned when the captain jerked back. “No, I’m not just handing this over. If we’re doing this, we’re doing this together.”

The asset resisted the urge to argue, to tell the captain to take his frail little body somewhere _safe_. Instead, he grabbed one thin arm and swung the captain atop his back. “Just hold on,” he muttered and something deep in his chest loosening when scrawny arms and legs curled around his shoulders and waist.

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaahhh, Winter Soldier/pre-serum Steve _is my jam_. This shouldn't be any longer than three chapters. Unless I decide to do some kind continual ficlet thing. "The Epic Adventures of kickass Skinny Steve and his amnesiac Winter Soldier." idk idk.
> 
> [Come cry with me over winter soldiers and the captains who love them](http://yaynan.tumblr.com).


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